The Meaning of Love
by Patricia de Lioncourt
Summary: Post HBP.  When Snape is ordered to kidnap, defile, and kill Hermione on her wedding day, he fulfills only half of that.  Instead, he convinces the Dark Lord to hold her as an extended hostage.  However, will they both discover the true meaning of Love?
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This is my first attempt at…ahem…this type of story. I must confess that I felt a strange urge to write one such as this. Part of this is probably terribly OOC, but I don't really think so. The situations are probably the biggest part of that. This chapter is not all that bad, but the next is going to be. If this offends anyone, I am gravely sorry…but consider yourselves warned. Mostly, I hope you will just enjoy the story.

Disclaimer- Harry Potter and all related characters belong to JK Rowling. This applies to all chapters.

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Chapter 1 

It had been two years. Two long and horrible years since he had killed Dumbledore. He had hated doing it then, but, oh boy, did he regret it now. The "Chosen One" and his little friends were now eighteen, a year older than the Legal Age in the Wizarding World. The war against Voldemort was still raging on. Seeing as how Severus Snape was held in the eyes of Voldemort--with complete trust, if not a bit of envy for not being able to kill Dumbledore himself--he would've made the Order's most valuable spy. But the Order wanted nothing with him now…

Draco Malfoy now held the position in the Order of the Phoenix that had previously been Snape's. Malfoy knew that Snape had only been following Dumbledore's orders that night, but there was no way he could ever convey that to them. So that left the "good guys" with a chain that was so long that even they did not know where it ended. It used to be simple: Snape would get information and pass it to the Order. Now, Snape got information--directly from Voldemort--and would pass it to Draco. Draco would then pass it to someone like Lupin or Tonks, who would finally pass it to Harry. It was a ridiculous strand but a must. There was no true trust anymore.

This particular evening was not very different than some of the others that Snape had lived through since Dumbledore's death. The Dark Lord had sent for him. Most likely, he would receive some form of information as well as orders. Snape would bow and grovel and shake, to show his "master" a certain amount of respect. Then, he would be dismissed to follow the orders and, unbeknownst to Voldemort, pass information to Draco.

But as Severus Snape entered into Voldemort's presence, he knew that this night was going to be different after all. The dark room was usually cold, but it was colder still this night. Severus let out a shaky breath as he knelt, and it left him in a very visible puff. Voldemort sat in a black leather, high-backed chair in front of a fire that seemed to be there only for looks. It produced little light and almost no heat.

"Ah, Severus," Voldemort breathed.

"Yes, my master?" he asked.

Voldemort always spoke first when he was addressing his servants. There were very few exceptions to this rule.

"Severus…I trust that you have heard what tomorrow is?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. There was only one event that _he_ knew of taking place tomorrow, but the odds seemed unlikely that that event was the one the Dark Lord was referring to.

"I am not sure what you mean, my Lord," Severus said, lowering his head.

"Do you not read, Severus? The announcements are everywhere! It is that blood traitor, Ronald Weasley's, and that mudblood, Hermione Granger's, wedding!"

Nothing was ever what it seemed. That _had_ been the same event that Severus had been thinking of. But of what interest was their wedding to him?

"I don't understand, Master."

"I have a plan. Instead of trying to break Potter physically, we will break him emotionally."

"Brilliant as always, my Lord. What do you need me to do?"

"Ah, my loyal servant, always eager to help. It is Potter's friends that have--time and again--given him the strength and will to carry on. It is Weasley's friendship and loyalty that feeds this, and it is Granger's love that feeds Weasley's continuity. We will break them at the source."

"Granger? What would you have me do?"

At this, the coldest and wickedest smile Severus had seen thus far on Voldemort's visage appeared.

"I want you to go to Miss Granger, take her with you, defile her, and finally kill her," he hissed.

Severus could not stop his features from portraying the shock he felt.

"Defile…?" he whispered, more to himself. However, Voldemort answered.

"Yes. I thought that this assignment might be a bit of fun for you…if you catch my understanding. I am sorry that a better candidate can not be chosen, but perhaps you will enjoy her?"

Severus fought down the horror that he felt. Bowing even lower, he said, "Yes, my Lord."

"You are dismissed."

Snape stood and turned. However, before he could leave the room, Voldemort had one more thing to say.

"I will know if you do not complete this task."

Outside, Severus cursed angrily into the wind. He knew where the wedding was being held, and he knew where Granger would be at this moment. Where she was, there was thirty minutes before the ceremony was to begin. He knew that Voldemort meant what he said. That was why he was not contacting Draco at this moment. Unfortunately, with the Dark Lord's cold, unforgiving eyes upon him, there was only one thing to do. Severus Snape apparated.

The room he popped into was clearly a bedroom. Not a very tidy one at that. Granger was in a very elegant, lacy white wedding gown, sitting in front of a mirrored vanity. Her reflection and she gasped. She turned and opened her mouth to cry out. However, Severus had stunned her before that. He caught her before she slipped to the floor. Closing his eyes, he apparated away with her.

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End Notes: Well, I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Sorry for the long wait. This chapter is not what I usually type. For me, personally, it's quite graphic. So don't say you weren't warned! Anyhow, please enjoy!

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Chapter 2 

She was beautiful, in a sad way. She lay before his feet with her veil spread as though a lovely white cloud above her head. She was still unconscious. He did not yet have the will to awaken her.

Severus took another swig of firewhiskey. He was just now getting a buzz. This served as a testament to how much he drank these days, considering that it was nearing midnight and that this was his second bottle. Well, bottle and a half. But he knew he could not put this off any longer. He knew that Voldemort had meant what he had said.

"_I will know if you do not complete this task."_

Severus walked closer to Hermione's white form on the floor. Lifting his wand, he sad, "_Ennervate_."

She groaned a bit. Lifting her head a little, she caught sight of him and gasped. He didn't blame her. Not only had he just abducted her, he was sure he looked a real fright. She sat up now. He walked so close to her now that she had tilt her head back to stare at him.

"Where am I?" she asked. Well, demanded was more like it. And when he grabbed her and pulled her up off her feet, she added, "What are you doing!"

There would be no talking. That could only make his task worst. He all but threw her onto the bed. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what he intended to do. She began to slap and kick at him.

"Stop! Stop!" she screamed as he tore open her dress.

He pushed her down onto the pillows. Pinning her arms down with his knees, he tore off the rest of the remaining garments she was wearing.

"Severus! Please! Don't do this!" she screamed.

That was more than he could bear. She had said his name. Lifting his wand, he cast "_silencio_" upon her. Her face twisted and contorted, trying to shout, but finally, all she could do was stare at him with pleading eyes.

He tore off his own garments with as much force as he had removed hers. Then, unable to take the look she was giving him any longer, he closed his eyes and forced his lips upon hers. She immediately pursed hers shut, but it was an easy enough task to push his tongue in.

She was still trying to kick at him. He knew that he was hurting her. He honestly didn't mean to. He wanted--as silly as it sounded--to desperately apologize and explain the situation to her. But she would never hear out either.

Thinking that it might better the situation, albeit not much, he began to stroke the more sensitive parts of her body. Her breast, her stomach, he even "played around" with her nether regions. At this, tears spilled over onto her cheeks. He knew it was time to finish it. Slowly, he inserted himself into her and thrusted. Over and over and over again, until that brief wave of euphoria that the body holds back during such an act coursed through him.

He did not move off of her, just a little further up. Hermione's eyes were closed. She had either passed out or fallen asleep. Snape figured that it was the latter. He glanced over to the nightstand beside the bed, where his wand lay. Remembering the final part of his instructions, he slowly reached for it.

He lifted it, about to cast the Killing Curse, when Hermione let out the smallest of sighs.

The wand slipped from his fingers, and he leapt off of the still unconscious witch. He had already done enough to this girl. He had stolen her virtue. He would not steal her life as well.

Covering up her nude form, he turned and walked outside of his bedroom. He was staring down at his feet, shame washing over him. Then, an all too familiar voice spoke.

"Did I not instruct you to kill her as well?" Voldemort asked, standing at the very top of the staircase.

Snape immediately dropped to his knees. "My lord, please, if you will--"

"You weak, pitiful fool! I shall kill her myself!" the Dark Lord hissed, brushing past Severus.

Snape leapt to his feet. "No! My lord! She could serve us a greater purpose!" he shouted.

Voldemort stopped. Without turning to face his servant, he said, "Go on."

"She is Potter's closest friend! Think of the vast of amount of information we could get from her!"

"A simple truth serum could accomplish that. We would still kill her in the end. However, I have a feeling that you wish to bargain for her life. You will have to do better than that, Severus."

"My lord, if we kept her alive…Potter would come to you!"

Voldemort turned. "How to you come to this conclusion?"

"Potter and Weasley both will stop at nothing to save her if they think she is still alive. Inevitably, it will bring Potter, if not both, to you."

Voldemort did not reply immediately. Finally, he sighed and said, "Very well, but on one condition. I want you to perform a Kept Safe charm on her. She is never again to leave this house."

Severus took a deep breath. When he exhaled, he said, "Yes, my lord. All in your service."

"It very well better be," he said. With a pop, the Dark Lord apparated away.

Severus wanted nothing more but to sleep now. However, he knew that--for her safety--he had better perform the Kept Safe charm while she still slept. He re-entered the bedroom and took from her the smallest of locks of hair. Then, he quietly made his way outside of his house.

Muttering the first part of the spell, which conjured a protective wind, he lifted up the lock of hair and released it. Then, he continued by stating that the house was to be Hermione's domain until he deemed fit to set her free. The wind, which had carried the bits of hair around the house, died down and a circle--surrounding the home--illuminated, showing the farthest Hermione could go. Any magic that could help her leave was now useless.

Severus sighed, entered his living room, and fell asleep on the couch. He knew that tomorrow, he would have to confront Hermione and tell her that not only did he rape her of her innocence but he had made her his prisoner as well.

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End notes: Okay, so, what did you think of that? I hope everyone liked it. Please review! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- Sorry for the long wait! I hope everyone enjoyed that last chapter. It sounded as if all of you had. Anyway, about my forum for my fanfiction, occasionally I will post little spoilers or important information there. So, every once in a while, drop by and check it out! Anyway, I hope everyone will enjoy this chapter…

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Chapter 3 

Hermione awoke with a great start. Her body seemed to throw her into a sitting position. For a moment, she couldn't figure out where she was. The room she was in was unfamiliar and would not focus in her vision. Finally, it was a great, cold shudder through her body that brought the horrible moments back into her thoughts. Looking down and seeing herself nude, vulnerable, she pulled up the rough bedcovers to conceal herself. Then, using one hand to hold up the sheets, she reach up with the other and felt her lacy veil still on her head and partially tangled in her hair.

Dropping the covers, she untangled and removed the veil. She stared at it for a few moments. Its more delicate lacing was ripped, and it no longer had _just_ her perfume on it. It reeked of _his_ cologne. She felt the tears before she let the sobs loose. She hugged the veil as a child scared of the dark would hug their teddy bear. The sobs even began to rock her body back and forth. At last, she quieted herself and looked around.

The curtains of the room were black and pulled almost completely closed. Only a strip of morning sun leaked through. In a chair by the wardrobe lay a muggle man's shirt and pants, looking to be at least a size too big for her. Hermione climbed cautiously out of bed, finding that more than just lower regions hurt, and approached the clothing. Upon the shirt was a note which read that she could put these on when she awoke. She ground her teeth together in helpless frustration. She knew that he had destroyed her wedding dress and that she had no other clothing. However, accepting any kind of help from the man who had raped her not only angered but disgusted her as well.

Putting down her veil, she picked up the shirt and glared at it. After having put on the shirt quickly, she did the same with the pants. Then, picking up the veil, she exited the room. She was careful to be as quiet as she could as she made her way to the sitting room.

There, asleep on the couch with his wand resting on his chest, was the offender. His greasy black hair fell just slightly off the edge of his shoulders, and he was snoring softly. It was all Hermione could do not to go into a rage at him. However, she knew that she was wandless. Now on her tiptoes, she made her way over to him. Slowly, she reached out her hand toward the wand. However, just as her fingertips grazed the wand's handle, Snape's hand shot out and grasped her wrist tightly.

"Let me go!" was Hermione's automatic statement.

He sat up and pushed her away, grabbing his wand and putting it away as he did so. He shook the tiredness from his face, then looked back at her.

"You're awake," he said, standing.

With no understanding as to why, Hermione hugged her veil closer to her. She backed up a step from him. Then, with a newfound strength, she retook that step forward.

"Why did you do this? Why? Why did you do this, you bastard! It was my wedding day!" she screamed, hot tears streaming as she let loose the anger and hurt.

Snape's eyes were dark--whether with uncaring or concern, Hermione could not tell nor did she care. She threw the tattered veil into a chair behind her and picked up the heaviest object she could find--an old book on the end table. Then, with all the power she could muster, she hurled the volume at Snape. He ducked it easily, but he made no move to stop her when she repeated the action with a statue the second time. Instead, he merely dodged patiently until Hermione's arms grew tired, and she fell back into the chair behind her. Her sobs were dry, for she had no more tears to cry. Snape sighed.

Sitting down on the couch, he stared at her. Finally, when she quieted again, he spoke.

"I wish I could apologize for what I did. Or rather, I wish you would believe that I _want_ to apologize to you. However, I know that right now you would not hear nor accept my apologies. I completely understand. What I did to you was…horrific--"

"Really?" Hermione hissed at him.

Snape breathed in deeply, as if absorbing a mental punishment gladly. However, he carried on calmly.

"But I must explain to you why I did it. And…what further horrors I have bestowed upon you."

Hermione stared at him, as if searching for something. Then, with one of her eyebrows in an arch, she said, "What have you done?"

Snape's eyes fell to the ground. They did not stay there long. Forcibly, he looked back up at the heart-wrecked witch.

"I was ordered, by Voldemort, to kidnap, defile, and kill you. As you know, I did two of those three things. However, I could not kill you."

"Why not?" Hermione whispered.

"Because I had already done so many terribly cruel things to you."

"Wow, and I thought that you would've wanted to make it all well-rounded. Anyway, why would Voldemort want you to do this?" she asked scathingly.

"It's part of his new plan to break Potter emotionally and mentally. When I couldn't kill you, you can imagine that he was angry. However, I convinced him to let you live."

At this, he stopped. Sensing that the worst had yet to come, Hermione stood slowly and asked, "What did you do?"

"I--I performed a Kept Safe charm on you while you slept."

"What!"

At this, Hermione ran to the front door of the house. Throwing it open, she tried to step outside…but couldn't. Then, she tried to just stick her hand out the door. It was as if she was being stopped by an invisible glass wall. Angry, she slammed the door and stormed back in to where Snape sat.

"How could you do this! How!" she screeched, beginning to slap and hit at him, even throwing in a couple of swipes with her nails.

He reached out and grabbed both her wrists in each hand. Shaking her, he said, "Hermione! Hermione, listen to me!"

She stopped fighting him, pulled her arms away, and threw herself back into the chair. He heaved a great sigh before saying, "I convinced Lord Voldemort that you could be used for both information and bait for Potter and even Weasley. It was the only way to save your life. I'm sorry."

Hermione stood slowly. Then, not looking at him, but rather back up towards the bedroom, she said, "You should've just let him kill me. You've done that much already."

Snape's head fell forward as Hermione walked surprisingly calmly out of the sitting room and back towards the bedroom.

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End Notes: Okay, so what did you think? I hope everyone liked it! Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- Sorry for the long wait, once again. I had sort of a writer's block. Well, it was more of a lack of inspiration. And it wasn't just for this story…it was for those I had to write before it. Of course, I anticipate that this chapter will be hard for me to write as well. We shall see, though. Now, I'm sure you've all wondered how Ron is taking this…to answer this, I present chapter four!

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Chapter 4 

_Hours before the rape, minutes after Hermione's disappearance…_

Ron sat in the very same chair he supposed Hermione had been sitting in just minutes earlier. He held her wand in his hands gently, as if it was a fragile thing that would break if he handled it too roughly. They had made the agreement not to carry their wands with them as they walked up to their marriage alter. It had been her idea, and, originally, Ron had disagreed. He had had Harry to back him, for they had all been having dinner together when she had presented the plan.

"It's a time of war, Hermione. Any of us could be attacked at any moment," Harry had said with Ron nodding beside him.

Oh, he remembered that simple memory so clearly! She had sat across the table from him, her long hair just as bushy as ever and framing her face perfectly. She had smiled at Harry, flashing an eye in her fiancée's direction, and replied, "Precisely. It is a time of war, and I hate it that our wands--once simple tools for everyday tasks--have now come to symbolize weapons of that war. I don't want to walk down the aisle carrying a weapon, reminding me of war. I want to walk down the aisle and forget, for a moment, that there is a war."

Her arguments had always been well-reasoned and passionate, rather she had been making this point or fighting for House Elf rights. In their earlier school years, Ron had always made it sound as if this had annoyed him, but it had been quite the opposite. She, of course, had won that discussion. Ron had agreed not to carry his wand and she hers. For the first time in his life, he hated her for that.

He sat back in the chair, still holding the wand, if not a little tighter now. If she had had it on her person, instead of in the vanity's drawer…she would've walked down the aisle on schedule. And he would not be sitting here, his face red with anger, tears, and worry. And they would've been married. And all would've been all right forevermore…because he would've been with her.

A knock on the bedroom door did little to bring Ron's mind all the way back to the present. He merely muttered for the person on the other side to enter. When the door opened, Ginny and Harry entered. Ginny rushed to her brother and hugged him. Harry moved to stand in front of his sorrowed friend.

"No sign of her then?" Ron asked as Ginny pulled back, tears pouring down her face.

His sister shook her head. Harry placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. He tried to give him an encouraging smile, but it would not come. Instead, he merely patted his shoulder once or twice and then allowed his hand to fall limply to his side.

"Ron, we all love Hermione. But…do you think…do you think that she got cold feet?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

As Ron looked at her, she drew in her breath, as if expecting him to yell at her. But instead, he simply said, "No, she didn't run, if that's what you mean. I'm sure she would've taken her wand then."

Harry sighed. "I almost wish she had run…because that only leaves us a few options as to what happened."

"You don't think Voldemort had anything to do with it, do you?" Ginny asked.

She had long ago stopped referring to the Dark Lord as "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "You-Know-Who." Harry had shown her the courage to do that. As had Dumbledore. Ron stood, pocketing his beloved's wand.

"She's not dead," he said simply.

Both Ginny and Harry nodded. Both knew how Ron had come to that conclusion. The Death Eaters would've made certain that they had found the body if she had been killed.

"That leaves kidnap," Ginny said.

"Not usually their thing," Harry said. "But that's the only explanation there is."

"Then we find her. We have to find her. If they've hurt her…" Ron left off, clenching his fists.

Harry reached out, taking his friend by the shoulders. "I know. But right now, all we can do is wait. We don't have anything to go on. But we'll find her. I promise."

Ron opened his mouth, as if to protest, but stopped. He knew that was the reasonable thing to do. And he knew that the reasonable thing was always what Hermione did. He nodded.

"But what do we do until then?" Ron asked despairingly.

"Voldemort will let us know. Unfortunately, it's all in his hands now," the Boy-Who-Lived replied.

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End Notes: Huh, that was easier than I thought. How did everyone like that? Just a little chapter to let everyone know how Ron was taking this. I promise we'll see Ron coming into play as a bigger part of the plot later. Anyhow, please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- Sorry for another long wait. I've been trying to focus on my original fiction some, and that can be a little distracting. Also, college just started back. But, all is well. I seem to find my Tuesdays and Thursdays quite empty…so expect a lot of updates from me on those two dates. Thanks!

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Chapter 5

Hermione did not leave the bedroom or the adjoining bathroom for days. And Snape was surprisingly smart about handling it. He only ascended to his home's second floor to either bring her breakfast, lunch, or dinner or to bring her some clothing he had purchased for her. When had had left the clothing, he had mumbled something about not knowing her size and having to guess it and his apologies if they did not fit correctly. Hermione had responded by hurling a vase at her side of the door with all the strength she could muster. She had hoped that the vase had been precious to him.

It was the fourth day with nothing to stare at but the walls and furnishings of the dismal room, that Hermione finally emerged. The clothes Snape had bought her were only a size bigger than what she normally wore, which just left them a little baggy. She entered the living room slowly, blinking rapidly as the morning light that fell through the windows hit her eyes. She had had the curtains closed in the room for those four days. Much as it had been her first morning there, she found her captor slumbering on the couch. She narrowed her eyes at him, then walked right past him into the kitchen. He did not wake until she accidentally dropped a pot. Then, she turned to see his yawning figure in the doorway.

"Miss Granger, what brings you down here?" he asked, speaking slowly…as if she were going to explode.

"Boredom," she replied, placing the pot on the stove. "And call me Hermione. You did the other day. Besides, knowing me now as well as you do, it's just silly to keep calling me that."

His mouth twitched as if he were about to smile, but the smile never came. At least the man was not completely stupid. As Hermione began to browse through the cabinets, he stepped further in.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"Scuba gear," she said, rolling her eyes. Then, she added, "Food, what did you think I was looking for?"

"Please, tell me what you want, and I'll conjure it for you," he said, raising his wand.

"I'm more than able to handle cooking without magic, thank you. I am muggle born, remember?" she snapped.

He sighed. "Very well…it's just faster this way…and you do look hungry."

After a few more moments of looking aimlessly through the cabinets, she finally let out a sigh of aggravation. Turning towards him and crossing her arms across her chest, she said, "Go ahead."

He inclined his head a bit and waved his wand. In the pot poured, from thin air, all the makings of a stew. Then, the eye on the stove roared to life. Without saying a word, she walked past him and took a seat in the living room. He followed silently.

He chose a seat across from her and still chose to say nothing. Hermione's arms were still crossed and she had done the same with her legs--one knee over the other. It looked as if she were both angry and cold. The silence was thick between them, almost tangible. Several times, Snape opened his mouth, on the verge to say something…and then would stop, thinking better of it. Finally, it was Hermione that broke the silence.

"How long?" she asked.

"Just a few more minutes, I would think, for your stew," he said.

She sighed. "No. I meant, how long will I have to stay with you?"

"Oh," he said, chuckling nervously. "I…um. I don't really know…but we'll think of a way to get you home. I promise."

Hermione looked to the side and said, "What are your promises really worth?"

Snape smiled ruefully as he looked down at the floor. "That's an excellent question. Actually, they're worth quite a lot here of late."

Hermione knew he was referring to the Unbreakable Vow he had made with Narcissa Malfoy two years ago. She didn't know if he knew that she understood that…but she was really past caring what Severus Snape knew. She looked at him and nodded in response to this statement. He nodded back once, then stood and said, "I'll go check your stew."

…………………

It was night, and Hermione had had her three meal courses. She had had that stew for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and Snape had prepared some bird for dinner. Now, just having finished the bird, she was up in the bathroom, preparing for a shower. She had considered taking a bath, but bath's were too leisurely for this place. She wanted to be in and out of the shower, fast.

She hated the idea of disrobing in this house, but she just _had_ to get his smell off of herself. She knew that it wouldn't last long, after all she was in his house, but the smell of his cologne sickened her. And it did nothing but remind her what had happened…and she would just like to forget that.

She was just about to remove her clothing when she heard some loud pops coming from downstairs. She crept closer to the bathroom door and stuck her ear next to it. She could hear Snape's voice, but she couldn't make out anything that he said. Then…she heard someone else's voice. Someone that she knew.

Without thinking twice, she threw open the bathroom door and flew down the stairs. She came to a stop in the living room, where she could finally see what was going on…The Death Eaters had arrived, and Lord Voldemort was with them. But that was far from all…

Behind Voldemort was the person Hermione had heard that had caused her to dash down the stairs. Ginny Weasley lay on the floor, looking as if she had just gone through a few rounds of the Cruciatus Curse. Hermione ran to her and wrapped her arms around her.

"Ginny! Ginny, are you okay?" she asked.

Ginny looked up at her and smiled, "Hermione…you're alive. Ron and the rest of us were _so_ worried about you!"

Ginny's eyes closed, and Hermione shook her.

"Ginny! Ginny, what's going on?" Hermione asked in a panic.

It was no use. It seemed as if Ginny had passed out. The room was suddenly filled with the low chuckles of the Death Eaters.

"Awww…" Voldemort said, Snape at his heels. "It seems that little Miss Blood Traitor is tired. Should we let her rest?"

The Death Eaters shook their heads.

"No!" Hermione screamed, wrapping herself around Ginny as Voldemort raised his wand--a smile on his face.

"Remove her, Severus," Voldemort ordered.

Without hesitation, Snape strode forward, grabbed Hermione's arm, and dragged her away from the red haired witch. Hermione kicked and screamed and clawed at him, but it did no good. As soon as she was clear of Ginny, Voldemort shouted, "_Crucio_!"

Ginny's eyes flew open as screams of pain and agony escaped from her mouth. And Snape held Hermione--who was sitting on the floor--in front of himself, helpless to do nothing but watch.

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End Notes: Wicked little cliffy. I do so love these. Well, what did you think? Please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- Wow, so that Tuesday and Thursday thing really didn't pan out, did it? I'm so sorry. Lot of stuff took up my time in November and December. As for this month, I'm juggling trying to edit my fanfictions, keeping up with all my WIPs, working, college, and various other things. Anyhow, I hope this chapter proves to be worth the wait. Thanks for your patience!

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Chapter 6 

Ginny's screams echoed around the house as she twisted and contorted her body in pain on the floor. Hermione fought with Snape--whose grip was not budging in the least--tears running down her face and screams issuing from her as well. The Death Eaters laughed heartily at the spectacle.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Hermione began to scream over and over.

Voldemort smiled down at her, taking satisfaction in the pain he was causing both girls.

"Stop struggling, Hermione," Snape whispered into her ear. "If you act as if it doesn't bother you, he'll stop."

But it wasn't in her capacity to even _act_ cold. This was one of her best friends, and who should've been her sister-in-law by now. She fought against Snape even harder.

Finally, Voldemort lifted the curse, and Ginny lay silently on the floor. Hermione watched as her chest rose and fell with slow breaths. At least the curse had not killed her. She always knew that the only Weasley girl was strong, but she never knew just how much so until now.

"Your pain is not over," Voldemort spoke to Ginny. "A Blood Traitor's pain should never be over. However, it could be lessened. Just tell me everything you know about Potter and his plans. Tell me what his and the Order's plans are…and I'll end this pain for you."

"You won't get anything out of her," Hermione said, staring up at him.

Voldemort's lipless mouth smiled down at her. "And what about you, Miss Granger?"

"I am a member of the Order of the Phoenix…so is she. We don't buckle beneath the pressure of evil," she replied, holding her head high.

"Even when death is near?" he tested.

At this, Ginny's eyes opened and stared over at the Dark Lord. Hermione let a dark grin grace her features as she said, "Ask her."

Voldemort laughed and turned back toward his victim. "How about it, Weasley?"

Her strength gone, Ginny stared up at him with all the defiance she could muster.

"Fuck…you."

The arrogant, confident grin left Voldemort's face, and his Death Eaters--who had been chuckling and scoffing appropriately during all of this--went deadly quiet.

"Very well," the evil one said, lifting his wand. "Say your good-byes, Ginny."

Quickly, Hermione allowed a sob to escape her as she threw her arms about Snape's waist. He looked down at her, shocked. Voldemort's grin returned.

"How brave," he said mockingly.

He raised the wand even higher. Just as quickly as she had whirled toward Snape for "comfort," Hermione withdrew his wand from his robe's pocket. Pointing it at Voldemort and the Death Eaters behind him, she shouted, "_Exspelliarmus_!"

The sheer force with which she had cried this threw all of them--including Snape--backwards off their feet. Many of them crashed into the walls of the room. Again, losing no time, Hermione dragged Ginny towards the fireplace, grabbed the jar of floo powder Snape kept on the mantle, threw the whole thing into the fire, shouted "The Burrow," and then fed Ginny into the emerald flames. As soon as Ginny's feet cleared it, the fire died back down to an orange color, and Hermione felt several pairs of hands grab her and throw her backwards onto the floor. Voldemort stood over her, a smile on his face but a poisonous glare in his eyes. Snape stood just off to his side, stoic as usual.

"You may have saved your friend from death, Miss Granger, but you did not save yourself from punishment," he said.

"What?" Hermione challenged. "You not going to kill me?"

"No, no, dear. For now, all that is in store for you is Cruciatus. _Crucio_!"

Hermione felt the white hot pain that Harry had once described to her rush throughout her being. She tried not to scream…to be strong, but it took only a millisecond of time for her to realize what a stupid notion that was. Of course she was going to scream. It hurt, for the love of Merlin! Although the torture lasted only minutes, Hermione felt as if it had been hours. When Voldemort ended the curse, he instructed a couple of his Death Eaters to deposit her into one of the upstairs bedrooms.

"Severus," he said, turning towards him. "A word."

…………………

Severus Snape's mind was whirling. What had happened had happened all too quickly for him to process. The sheer shock of having Hermione latch onto his waist had completely thrown off his perception of the situation. One moment, she had been a sobbing girl, sadly and helplessly awaiting the death of her friend…and the next, she was stealing his wand and using it to save the day. Sacrificing her self, in a way, for all of it.

He had followed Voldemort into an adjoining room, away from the rest of the Death Eaters. As soon as the door shut, Snape played the dutiful servant and fell to his knees.

"Master, your forgiveness!" he begged, immediately employing Occlumency to shield his thoughts.

"Dispense with your pleas, Snape. I have not the time to punish you as well, and I wouldn't get any satisfaction from it. No, I called you in here to see what you have learned from that mudblood Granger," Voldemort said.

"Nothing, Master. As you heard, she is a difficult person to interrogate."

Voldemort was silent, considering this. Finally, he said, "Very well. I am feeling very merciful this evening. But my good mood will not endure long. Get information from her soon…at your peril. Am I understood?"

"As always, my lord," Snape said.

With that, Voldemort swept from the room. Soon after, several pops of disapparation were heard. Snape stood and leaned against the doorway of the room. Allowing himself only a moment to consider his problem--the problem of trying to provide Voldemort with information--he made his way up to check on Hermione.

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End Notes: How did everyone like that? I quite enjoyed that chapter. I can't wait to hear from everyone! Please review! 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- Another long wait. Again, I'm so sorry. I had work and a summer trip to contend with. Well, to anyone who has read book 7, you obviously know that this is now considered AU. Anyway, please enjoy this!

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Chapter 7

If Hermione had had her way, she would've awoken from her unconsciousness the next morning somehow miraculously home, the sun shining in from an open window, and Ron lying next to her. However, she awoke feeling the food she had eaten the night before trying to escape violently through her mouth. Her hand flew her mouth to try and stop the disgusting flow as she sat straight up in bed. She grossed out a bit to find that a little of the half-digested food was on her hand. She stumbled out of bed and collapsed over the toilet in the adjoining room, where she promptly removed her hand and allowed her stomach to purge whatever it was that it hadn't liked.

Hermione had not thrown up in years. The last clear memory she had of being bent over a toilet had been when she was seven. Now she remembered why she fought all nausea she experienced. She had never expected a curse to make her ill.

_This Cruciatus is for the birds_, she thought, finally finished.

As she was wiping her mouth off, washing her hands, and brushing her teeth, there was a knock at the bedroom door. She scoffed. Turning off the water and drying her hands, she turned and said, "You've raped me, I don't think you need to worry about walking in on me naked."

Severus stuck his head in slowly. There was concern etched all over his face as he stared at her. Hermione felt like she might throw up again.

"What do you want?" she asked, leaning against the frame between the loo and bedroom.

"I heard you in there. I came to make sure you were all right. Actually, to be honest, I came to see if you were awake and hungry, but considering what I heard, I would figure that food would be the last thing that you would want," he said, coming fully into the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "You think so?" she asked, walking over and plopping down on the bed.

She glared up at Severus as if to say, "Don't you even dare get comfortable in here! And don't you dare even try to sit next to me!"

He caught the message, remaining very close to the room's door. There was silence between the two once again. Hermione, for her part, still felt a bit nauseous. She sat on the bed, trying to hold herself erect, so that Snape would not see this bit of weakness. Finally, she gave in, groaned, placed a hand on her aching stomach, and laid back on the bed.

"Hermione, are you sure you are all right? Do you need anything?" Snape asked, taking a step away from the door.

She shook her head. "No. I'm fine," growling her answer at him.

He nodded and retracted his step. There was silence once more. Hermione closed her eyes, her body now tired from the heaving she had done. Fighting sleep, she kept forcing her eyes open, only to have them shut again. Falling asleep in the same room as she man who had raped her was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Draco stopped by. Ginny made it home safely. Also, she had no lasting effects from the curse it seems. Although, she is still unconscious," Snape said.

At this, Hermione's eyes flew open, and she sat up. She was no longer tired.

"Draco? Malfoy? He contacts _you_?" she asked.

Snape smiled a humorless smile. "Where do you think he gets all that wonderful information from?"

"You mean you've been the one feeding the Order our information this whole time?" Hermione asked, coming off the bed. "I can't believe it!"

"Has any of the information ever been false?"

Hermione considered this for a moment. Finally, she shook her head. Snape opened his arms and inclined his head a bit.

"It doesn't seem right," Hermione said bitterly in response.

"Why? Because it confuses the image of me as the heartless bastard who murdered Dumbledore?" he hissed at her suddenly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. This was the first time since she'd been here that she had heard him speak with such icy tones. His voice had deepened into a growl, and his face had contorted into one of hatred. Toward her or himself; however, Hermione couldn't know.

"Maybe," she answered honestly. "But isn't that a good thing?"

His face softened once more, and he nodded. He turned, about to leave, when she stopped him.

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione leaned against the bedpost, her stomach still ill a bit. She sighed and wrapped her arms about it.

"The information that Voldemort is going to expect from you soon. What are we going to give him? Obviously I can't give you information that will harm any of the members of the Order."

"And I can't give him fabricated information…at least not forever. He'll start to suspect something is wrong."

Hermione nodded, thinking. She wondered, at first, if she really cared what happened to Snape or not. Then, remembering what she had just learned, she thought that it might be better to have him live a bit longer. Even if it meant her being trapped here.

"How about I give you fabricated information at first, and then you can claim to your Dark Lord that I deceived you and that you will torture the next bit of information out of me even more fiercely than the last?" she said.

Snape's eyes widened a bit out of shock. Hermione allowed herself a wicked little smile.

"What?" she asked.

"I never knew you were _so_…contriving," he replied.

"That's what ten years of Muggle television can do to someone, I suppose," she joked.

He smiled, although he appeared to be struggling against the gesture. "Television was different when I was younger, then."

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End Notes: So, not much this chapter. Sorry for the long wait, once again. As I stated in the author's notes, this story is now AU in accordance with book 7…but then again, wasn't it always, maybe just a little? Please review! 


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